The four adults live in the area, and Jiovany is from Chicago, Illinois; he was visiting a relative in Texas at the time of his disappearance. He and Hernandez are American citizens and the other men are Mexican-born and legal U.S. residents. They had all gone to the border town of Laredo, Texas that day to pick up some paperwork for a vehicle, and decided to cross the border into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to go shopping.

Hernandez called his wife at approximately 12:00 p.m. and said they'd all be home by 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. They never returned, however. Law enforcement was notified on November 30, after Munoz and Hernandez didn't show up for their jobs at Heldenfels Enterprises Inc., a concrete company. They are described as reliable workers.

Although Jiovany is classified as a runaway with many agencies, the circumstances of his and the others' disappearances are unclear. They may still be in Mexico and foul play is possible in their cases.